Several Illinois legislators are pushing to bring more construction jobs to the state. A plan under consideration in the House would award tax credits to companies that put up new buildings or improve existing structures.

The 21st Century Missouri Transportation System Task Force is recommending a 10 cent hike in the gas tax to 27 cents a gallon. It also wants to raise the diesel fuel tax to 29 cents a gallon. Both the gas and diesel taxes have been set at 17 cents for roughly two decades.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin criticized Republicans on Thursday for rushing to deliver a sweeping overhaul of tax laws before Christmas—a package that the senior Illinois Democrat says gives too much away to wealthy Americans and large corporations.

Downstate Congressman John Shimkus will help negotiate the final version of the Republican tax reform bill.

Shimkus, who represents much of east-central and southeastern Illinois, will be part of the conference committee that negotiates the final tax bill, after the House and Senate passed two different versions.

The Senate is debating its tax overhaul bill. To pass it, the Republicans need strong party unity and leaders have been working on changes to firm up support among uncommitted lawmakers, as the GOP can only afford two no votes from its party and still pass the legislation. But even if the Senate does pass the bill by the end of the week, it will have to reconcile its version with the House's. Watch the debate unfold.

The Illinois Senate has adjourned without pushing its stalled budget compromise further, but a Senate Democrat filed legislation Thursday spelling out services that could be subject to the state sales tax to battle a budget deficit.

Despite recent hype over the possibility of legislators putting questions on the November ballot to change the constitution, the Illinois House adjourned Wednesday without even voting on proposed amendments. Their lack of action means voters won't be asked whether they want to change how they're taxed.

Members of a tax policy group based in Washington D.C., came to Springfield Tuesday to oppose two pieces of legislation that would change Illinois' income tax from a flat rate to rates based on how much a taxpayer earns. The change would depend on lawmakers passing a proposed amendment to the state's constitution and voters approving it in the fall.

Consumers may like the ability to shop online and avoid paying state and local sales taxes, and many online retailers may like the competitive advantage the arrangement provides them over “bricks and mortar” businesses across the country, but U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. says the situation has a significant price.

“It’s really not fair to say to that store down the block that’s paying rent and paying property taxes and collecting sales tax (that) we’re going to put them at a disadvantage to their Internet counterparts.”